Google launches a video Q&A app for celebs

Google yesterday launched Cameos for iPhone, a brand new video-focused Q&A app that allows celebrities, public figures and other important people to answer questions about themselves, then share those answers directly on Google.

TechCruch explains that the app’s strong celebrity focus stems from the fact that public figures are often the subject of people’s Google searches, and this app lets celebrities amplify their presence on Google with videos in their own authentic voice.

The app is focused specifically on video posts.

“Cameos on Google lets you be the authority on you. Record video answers to the most asked questions on Google and then post them right to Google,” reads the App Store description.

“Now, when people search for you, they’ll get answers directly from you.”

The app includes a continually updated list of the top questions the Internet wants answers to. The user simply chooses which ones they want to answer, and when. The answers, recorded with an iPhone, are posted right to Google so they can be surfaced when people search for that particular public figure or scroll through their feed in the Google app.

Cameos is a natural extension of the “Posts on Google” platform which lets big name organizations and certain individuals the ability to post directly to Google’s search result pages.

I can see how answering fans’ questions in celebs’ own voice through Cameos beats leaving the answers up to other websites, but the app will be ultimately judged by the number of public figures who are on board, user engagement and the frequency with which celebrities post interesting tidbits about themselves.